Stop the Horror of Fake Bags!

There's one thing I know that will truly make any woman look frumpy. The fake handbag.

Perhaps you think your bag looks as real as can be. Perhaps you've even fooled 99.8% of the population with it. Perhaps the stitching is perfect.

But face it, you're carrying a fake bag. It's not Coach, it's not Prada, it's not Kate, it's not Louis. It's fake. You know it and believe me, there's someone else out there that has seen you with it and she knows it, too.

So maybe you don't care that you're carrying a fake bag. You like the way it looks and you think it's insane to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars for a bag and you refuse to do it.

That's fine. There are plenty of really nice imitation bags (not FAKE bags) that have the same look as the big designer bags and you can get them for a song. XOXO makes some that look a lot like Louis Vuitton, I've seen some that look a lot like Kate Spade, Dooney, and Coach. But they don't try to SAY they're Kate Spade, Dooney, or Coach.

Here are some reasons NOT to carry a fake bag:

1. The quality is just not there. While the stitching on your fake Louis Vuitton might look good now, it's going to look like heck after a couple of months. Once that baby starts fraying it's like a red alert that you're carrying a fake. That gold piece on your Prado purse starts chipping and it screams fake. Blech.

2. It's illegal! This should probably be #1. It infringes on the designer's copyright. Just like if some other blogger came along and stole all your words, that counterfeiter is stealing Coach's design. Sometimes - I see this all the time with Kate Spade bags - it's not even a copyright infringement. The counterfeiter makes a completely horrendous bag and then slaps a Kate Spade label on it. The horror!

3. Chances are you're supporting some sweat shop in some rural part of China where children not much older than your toddler are working. Is that what you'd like to support?

4. It makes you look like a fake. If you really must have a designer bag, save your pennies and get one. You'll love it even more knowing you earned it.

How to tell if a bag is fake:

1. Check the fabric. The leather should feel soft and supple, the dye should be smooth and even. The stitching will be tight and even.

2. Check the labels. A lot of fake Kate Spades have the exterior label just glued on. If you can pull it off it's FAKE. Beware of bags with "Made in China" labels. Some designers are making them there - but most aren't.

3. Linings on authentic bags will look like high quality bags. If the lining looks cheap it's probably fake.

4. If the bag is supposed to be new but it's damaged, it's probably fake. Authentic bags that have been damaged are destroyed - not sold.

5. Authentic designer bags are not sold at purse parties. Ever.

If you must have a designer bag RIGHT NOW, look into renting one! If you just like the look of the bag but don't care if it's designer, there are a lot of really nice replica bags available.

Check out Mrs. Fussypants for more ways to Fight the Frump, and don't buy fake bags!

Hey! Margaritas make you feel less frumpy, too!

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Battling adult acne with... WATER!

Welcome frump fighters! It's Friday and that means we're fighting the frump with Mrs. Fussypants.

Today's tip is for those of you ladies that might be suffering from adult acne. I had it for quite some time and I tried pretty much everything to get rid of it. I probably have every product ever made that has Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid in it. I have masks, foams, gels, scrubs, creams, toners, you name it.

Finally I took a tip from The Man and you're not going to believe what it was that finally got rid of the acne.

I stopped washing my face altogether. Crazy, huh?

Now, when I wear make-up, which is not often, I do use Phisoderm Foaming Facial Wash. Most days, though, I just rinse my face with water and dry it with a towel.

I haven't had a break out in months... not even during that time of the month. I'm truly amazed.

Fight the Frump! Dress your age!

OK, so I get that some of you ladies are still sporting the body of a 24 year old (or maybe you ARE 24) and I give you MAJOR props for that. However, most of us have found that after a pregnancy or three (or five) things just aren't where they used to be.

Please! I think I would give my first born to look like either of them. I'm just KIDDING - don't send the hate mail.

Now, just the other day we were out and about and I witnessed some major fashion DON'Ts from some of my fellow South Florida ladies. I tried to get a picture for y'all... but I just couldn't do it without possibly being involved in a hair pulling cat fight and I don't do that in front of the kids.

The woman in question was wearing an outfit similar to this one:

Complete with lots of bling and nails that could scrape your eyes out in no time. Except this woman was not sporting the body of an 18 year old. Or a 24 year old. Or even an active 32 year old.

And hey, I'm not here to knock ladies who don't feel like spending four hours a day at the gym. I just think they should stay away from pants that have writing on the butt.

While we're on the subject, if you weren't blessed with the body of a teenage starlet, low rise jeans should be avoided at all costs. Avoid the muffin top and hide the tramp stamp you got that drunken evening in college.

Decent clothing CAN be found and you don't have to spend a ton of cash to do it. If the mall is too pricey, check out Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Stein Mart, or any outlet mall. You might have to take a drive, but TRUST ME, you'll thank yourself later.

So here's a classic fight the frump photo montage. I'm totally copying Mrs. Fussypants on this one. ;)













Hey, while you're here, comment on my book giveaway and maybe you'll win! :)

Fighting the Frump with Drink Mixes

I am perpetually on some sort of diet. You see, my problem is with food. I like to feel full and I like sweet stuff. It's tough. Recently, though, I discovered a little product that is helping to take the edge off. Actually, I discovered two of them.

There's the South Beach Diet Tide Me Over Drink Mix and Kellogg's Special K20 Drink Mix.

These mixes come in little packets that are easy to throw in your purse and are added to a standard 20 ounce bottle of water to make a yummilicious protein drink. They really do taste great, though they are a little thicker than the typical Crystal Light type of drink. The best part is that they really do fill me up! They contain 5 grams of fiber per serving and either 3 or 5 grams of protein per serving (the South Beach stuff has 3 grams and the Special K stuff has 5) so they help keep me from wanting to grab a cookie in between meals.

That's how I'm fighting the frump this week! For more frump fighting tips, check out Mrs. Fussypants!

PS - Book Giveaway Here!

It's Facial Day! Fight the Frump!

I've talked about how great I think Biore Pore Perfect strips are at unclogging nose pores and I still think they're super. However, I don't know about you, but I have pores all OVER my face. Not just on my nose. Sometimes those other pores could use a little work.

There's nothing like a little steam to work wonders on your pores. Not only will a nice facial steam make your skin look nice and glowy, but it will also clear your sinuses up and get rid of a headache.

Don't just stick your head over a pot of boiling water, though. It's simple to make the steam even more effective and much more pleasant with essential oils.

Personally, I like to use tea tree oil because it's invigorating but evidently the word around town is that you should use different oils for different skin types.

For normal skin types, mandarin or lavender essential oils are recommended. For oily skin, lemon and eucalyptus oils are recommended. For dry skin, choose rose or chamomile oils.

To do the steam, boil 1 gallon of water to a rapid boil. Take it off the burner and once it stops boiling add 6 to 8 drops of oil to the water. Lean over the steaming pot with a towel over your head for 10 minutes. Fabulous!

Once you're done with the steam a quick once over with toner will close your pores up but if you feel like being more involved here are some quick and easy masks that you can probably whip up with what you have at home. :)

For more fight the frump tips, check out Mrs. Fussypants!

P.S. Have you commented on my book giveaway yet? I'll draw a name on Tuesday and you could win it. ;)

Girls Night Out

This evening Munchkin and I are going to a semi-formal affair. It's been a loooooong time since Mama's been out somewhere where denim wasn't acceptable so I had to go shopping. That's right, I've been FRUMPY. So last night the whole family went out to the mall where we purchased me a nice pair of black pants and this cute little top to go with.

I already have the cutest little pair of black and white heels to complete my ensemble.

I want to interject here... on our way out of the mall we stopped for dinner at P.F Chang's. Has anyone ever been to this place before? I hadn't. I'd seen it before and it intrigued me but we'd just never tried it and I really didn't know what to expect. I've heard these great things about the food being so good and it being such a different experience so I was interested to try it. I encountered a restaurant that seemed to take the ethnicity out of average Chinese food. I'm not really sure what the point of that was. They threw in a little Asian decor but other than that I wouldn't have known it from the Cheesecake Factory. They serve dishes somewhat family style which is fine (not my favorite, but fine), have really no real kid friendly dishes even though there were plenty of kids there, and the food was pretty much meh. Overall, I don't think I care if we ever go there again. I'd rather order take out from the restaurant down the street from our house where I can't understand the guy who takes my order. He's super friendly and gives my kids extra fortune cookies.

Munchkin is wearing a sweet little silk dress by Monkey Wear that I purchased at my local thrift store for less than $2. Shhh... don't tell her. She has her own heels as well and she is SUPER excited to get to wear them! The last time she wore them was Christmas and I literally had to hide them in my own closet to get her to stop BEGGING me to wear them everywhere.

On top of our pretty clothes I've gone ahead and done a quick self-dye on my hair this morning since the last time I made it to the salon was in October. (Yes, October... I know... you wouldn't have believed the gray.) I never seem to have the HOURS it takes to go to the salon and get my hair done appropriately. I don't have one of those salons where everyone there is your best friend and you talk the whole time so for me it's just 3 hours of boredom. Ugh.

So the L'Oreal dye I picked up today in Medium Ash Blonde was just going to have to do... and it did. The dye, rinse, blow dry, and flat ironing took me less than an hour. How's that for fighting the frump?!

I also bought some pretty dark red polish for our toes. She's so excited!

I can't think of anything that fights the frump more than getting all dolled up with my little doll.

Check out Mrs. Fussypants for more ways to fight the frump!

PS - Have you signed up for my book giveaway yet? Go comment to win! :)

Beer, Wine, Spirits; Fight the Frump with Booze!

Today is Friday and that means we're fighting the frump with Fussy! I had a hard time thinking of how to fight the frump today but I think I came up with something good.

It's wine... alcohol... what's your poison?

The thing is... everyone looks less frumpy after a couple of glasses of wine. You feel less frumpy after a couple of glasses of wine.

I've had a couple of glasses of wine and I feel less frumpy even though I'm sitting here in my sweatpants and stained nightshirt. The Man has had a couple of glasses of wine and he thinks I look less frumpy, too.

;)

I think you can see where I'm going with this.

See... this evening was sort of rough. We took all three kids to my niece's middle school graduation and it probably wasn't the best idea. Three young children forced to sit through speeches, middle school musical performances, and the graduation of over 400 eighth graders... they got a little testy.

By the time we got home it was pretty late and the kids have their last day of school tomorrow so they needed to get to bed. It was chaotic. The Man and I were feeling a little frazzled. I definitely wasn't feeling my unfrumpiest. (Look! I made up a word!)

So after we got the little people to bed and had something to eat we broke open a bottle of Chardonnay. What do you know? We both feel SO much better.

Just make sure you only have a couple glasses. Know your limits frump fighters! Nobody looks frumpier than the hammered girl at the party.

For more frump fighting tips check out Mrs. Fussypants!

P.S. Have you commented on my book giveaway yet? What are you waiting for? I'll be drawing a name tonight!

Fight the Frump! The Internetz Shares Beauty Tips!

This week I couldn't think of much to write about as far as fighting the frump goes because I have to say, I've been pretty frumpy lately.

So I've compiled a small list of household beauty tips that I've found all over the Internet and thought were interesting. :) Enjoy!

From Girls Hang Out:
I found this tip really neat! For cracked heels, apply the pulp of a ripe banana and leave on for 10 minutes. Then clean the heel. I'm still sporting my smooth Ped Egg heels but I thought this tip was really great.

From Blog Fabulous:
I know that Vaseline works great for chapped hands and lips but I never thought about using it for fly aways! Does anyone know what highlighter means?

From Cathy's World:
To diminish dark circles and puffy eyes, freeze parsley in ice cubes and apply to area. "Parsley is packed with chlorophyll which helps fade darkness, while the ice reduces the swelling."

I also loved this one! For that shimmery foundation that is all the rage - "Mix your regular foundation with shimmering eye shadow such as gold, beige, cream, white, ecru or banana,"

From Barefoot Lass:
"Pour a cup or more of powdered milk under running bath water. The lactic acid in the milk will remove dry dead skin and leave you baby soft." Another tip was to add a coupe of drops of scented oil to make the bath extra delicious!

This tip on the same site was sent in from a reader: "Dreama Lawson from Bluefield, Va. writes; "I have medium brown hair and to make it look a richer and darker brown, I take Hershey's cocoa and mix it with an equal amount of shampoo. Just wash your hair with this mixture and it will make your hair a darker and richer brown. After washing your hair with this mixture, you can also add the cocoa to your conditioner. You have to use Hershey's unsweetened coca not the kind that is sweetened or else you will have a real mess." This one I'm going to HAVE to try!

Also, pour a bottle of diet coke over a too dark dye job and it should fade the dye.

There were a ton of great tips on these sites, check them out!

For even more frump fighting tips, check out Mrs. Fussypants!

PS - Have you commented on my book giveaway this week? What are you waiting for? I'm drawing a name TONIGHT! :)

Fight the Frump! Cracked Heels BEGONE!

As I mentioned in this post, I bought the Ped Egg the other day at Walgreens. I have a friend who recommended it to me and because my heels were badly cracked I figured I might as well give it a try.

Girls - run, do not walk, and purchase this thing for yourself. For $9.95, half the price of a walk in pedicure you can have baby smooth heels. I'm not kidding, I was SHOCKED at what this thing could do.


(Dramatization - your heels will not appear to be those of a 5 month old's)

I've had weekly pedicures. I've use the shaver thingies before and I've used pumice stones. I've used creams, abrasive scrubs, and sprays. Nothing has ever done for my feet what this little thing has done.

It's sort of like a miniature cheese grater for your feet. A cheese grater that works! Then you follow it up with a very fine sandpaper like file and it's like your feet are 10 years younger.

Now, my feet have been a little more sensitive since I liberated them from cracks Monday night. Yesterday I had to do a decent amount of walking in some hard thong sandals and my feet were too sensitive to handle it (owie!) but I'm hoping that a week or so of wearing socks and sneakers and being barefoot in the house will help them to desensitize a bit.

For more frump fighting tips, check out Mrs. Fussypants! Don't forget to congratulate her on her new bundle of ooey gooey happiness while you're there!

PS - Have you commented for my book giveaway this week? This is my first giveaway and I'm giving away With or Without You by Carole Matthews. Get over there and comment, I'll be drawing a name tonight! :)

Fighting the Frump - Coffee and Straws

Today is Friday and that means we'll be fighting the frump today! Today's frump fighting tip comes not from me, but from The Man's cousin. (Does that make her my cousin-in-law?)

While on vacation with her I noticed she was drinking her coffee through a straw. I thought this was strange. I mean, this wasn't a Starbucks Iced Mochiatto or anything... this was your standard morning cup of coffee.

So I asked her why.

"Why are you drinking your coffee through a straw?" I said.

Her answer was so simple it amazed me. She didn't want the coffee to stain her teeth. Clearly, she is a genius. A genius with white teeth.

To be honest, I haven't applied this practice to my own morning cup of coffee but I truly should. I mean, what's the point of my whitening toothpaste if I'm counteracting the effects every morning?

So there it is. Coffee through a straw.

For more frump fighting tips, check out Mrs. Fussypants!

P.S. Do you know someone who knows how to make WordPress blogs pretty? If so, please check out this post and comment. :)

Fight the Frump - Drink Your Water!

Did you know that you should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day? I'm getting out my trough right now.

We've all heard it before. Drink your 8 glasses of water a day. It'll make you lose weight, it'll make you feel better, it'll make your skin more vibrant, it'll make you think clearer, it'll make you the most popular girl in school!

Seriously, though. It's good stuff.

Among all the health benefits of water there are three distinct frump fighting characteristics of water.

1. Your skin. The stuff is all over you, ladies! It needs water for elasticity. If you aren't drinking enough your skin will look sallow, start showing wrinkles, and be more prone to bruises and cuts. We don't want that!

2. Weight loss. Did you know that a lot of the time your body tells you you're hungry it's actually because you're thirsty? Water is one of the biggest appetite suppressants we have available to us. It fills you up and helps you digest the food you eat. I'm taking a big giant gulp of Spring Water as I type this!

3. Your breath. Hey Dragon Lady! Knock halitosis out of the park with a big glass of H20! Saliva is made up of water so if you don't drink enough water you won't have enough saliva. Saliva helps to keep us from having furry tongue and washes smelly bacteria off of our teeth. What's that? Water can help prevent cavities! Anything to keep me away from the drill!

So get your drink on and remind your family to drink up, too. My kids usually don't think to drink unless they're panting and about to pass out so send your little monsters out to play with a bottle to keep with them. A twist of lemon in there might encourage them to sip a bit more. It's getting hotter outside and they'll need that water even more!

If you're not sure if you're getting enough water check the potty next time you tinkle. It should be practically clear in there. If you see yellow, grab some water. :) If you see any other colors grab your phone and call the doctor!

For more frump fighting posts, check out Mrs. Fussypants!

Fight the Frump - Unclog those pores!

Guess what girls? It's Friday! My favorite day of the week! Why's that? Because we get to Fight the Frump with Fussy, of course!

Have you ever stood in front of your mirror and just squeezed your nose really hard and marveled at all the gook (yes, gook) that comes out? If not, go do it now... I'll wait here.

Gross, huh?

Did you also notice that your nose is now bright red, perhaps has some fingernail gouges in it, and your eyes are bloodshot and watering?

I will now introduce you to a much more pleasant way to rid your nose of all the gook and have shiny clean pores once again.

There it is, ladies, the Bioré Pore Strip. I've used these before but am newly in love with them now that they have made a delicious smelling mandarin orange variety. Now you can get a little invigorating aromatherapy with your unclogging. (Right now they don't actually offer the mandarin scent in a package all their own but you get 2 free in a regular package.) Not to mention the overwhelming relief you will feel to know you no longer have grime living right there on your nose for all the world to see! There was a free sample in either my Elle or my Redbook (can't remember which one) and I thoroughly enjoyed my strip while relaxing in the tub. How about that for frump fighting?

Next time I'll bring in a glass of wine.

For more frump fighting goodies, check out Mrs. Fussypants!

Fight the Frump! Facial Hair Revisted. :)

Today is Friday and you know what that means...


Did anyone watch Larry King Live last night? I'm not going to go into my opinions on polygamy and underage girls being forced to marry old men here. We're fighting the frump today and have other things to talk about.

I want to talk about this woman:



There she is, front and center.

My heart goes out to this woman. Her child has been taken from her, which is quite possibly the most frightening thing that can ever happen to a mother. I truly feel for her and I empathize strongly with her pleas for the children she loves to be returned to their home.

But that's not what I want to talk about.

I want to talk about the fact that this woman needs a good pair of tweezers. Can you imagine being on Larry King with that unibrow? If there is a crime being committed on that compound it is truly the lack of facial hair control!

This is what can happen if we let the hair go. This is the horror that can ensue.

So don't forget your tweezers, your wax, your razor, or whatever you choose to use. Fight the unibrow, girls!

For more Fighting the Frump posts, visit Fussy!

Fight the Frump! Girl Time!

It's Friday and that means today we're Fighting the Frump with Fussy!

Last week my post was all about taking some quiet time for yourself and so this week I'd like to touch on another type of time all women should take. Girl time.

As much as I love The Man, there's just something about time with my girlfriends that is irreplaceable. I'll never be able to sit with The Man and giggle about my latest domestic screw up, argue over who needs to get a pedicure the most, or lament over how much weight we've gained over the past few years. They'll never never tell me I shouldn't have bought new shoes.

Now, I take girl time even less often than I take quiet time. Part of this is because several of my girlfriends have decided to up and move to other parts of the country... but mostly this is because I constantly decide I can't take an afternoon or an evening out for myself. There's always something I could or should be doing at home (laundry, cleaning, scout meetings, cooking) and I always feel bad leaving the kids with The Man, even though he's absolutely wonderful with them.... they always get to bed on time when he's in charge.

I've noticed something when I do take the time to go hang out with a girlfriend, though. I almost ALWAYS come back happier, more relaxed, and completely ready to take on my mom/wife duties with vigor. So even though The Man and the monsters have to live without me for a few hours, we're all so much happier to see each other when I return.

If that's not fighting the frump, well then I just don't know what is.

PS - How are y'all doing with the Quiet Time Challenge? I've managed to spend a half hour doing some yoga with no interruptions this week. Fabulous.

For more frump fighting, check out Fussypants!

Fighting the Frump! Quiet Time Challenge

It's Friday and that means we're Fighting the Frump with Fussy today!

Today I'd like to take a moment to talk about something that most of us don't get nearly enough of. At least I don't. :)

Quiet Time.

For me, I call this meditation and it's something I like to try to do at least once a day. I even have a wonderful meditation cushion set that The Man purchased for me for Christmas to keep me comfy. It's almost March and I've used it exactly five times.

It seems from the moment we wake up until the moment our heads fall exhausted on the pillow we're going.

We're thinking, we're listening to something, we're talking, we're watching, we're cooking, we're cleaning. What has to get done? What needs to be bought? Did I wash school clothes? Do I have something to make for dinner? I need to update my blog, I need to respond to those comments, why aren't more people reading my blog? Did I RSVP to Jimmy's birthday party? What present should we buy for Jimmy? I need to get the oil changed. I want to watch American Idol. I want to get my hair done. I sure could use a pedicure. When was the last time I scrubbed the toilet? I think I might be coming down with something. I don't have time to come down with something!

STOP!

It has to stop! We're running ourselves absolutely ragged and worrying about yesterday and tomorrow so much that we've forgotten to stop and focus on the NOW. Stop and take a breath and quiet your mind and just let the present embrace you.

So that's my challenge to help you fight the frump... once a day if you can or once a week if you can only do that, just take a break for yourself and be quiet. Stop thinking and stop doing... just for a few moments... just be.

You'll feel better, be more focused, and in turn be a lot less frumpy!

For more Fight the Frump posts visit Fussypants!